JOHNSTOWN — It’s official. The Northridge school board on Monday passed a resolution to close Hartford Elementary and Homer Elementary prior to the start of the 2008-09 school year.
According to the resolution, both buildings are in a deteriorated condition, are in need of substantial repair and have been ranked by the Ohio School Facilities Commission as two of the 20 school buildings in Ohio most in need of replacement. The board felt it is best to close the buildings to ensure student and staff safety.
Students attending Homer or Hartford will be relocated as follows: Students in grades kindergarten through three will attend Alexandria Elementary School, which will be renamed the Northridge Primary School; and students in grades four and five will attend school in modular classrooms at the central campus, which will be known as the Northridge Intermediate School.
Prior to the unanimous vote, Superintendent John Shepard said the board’s decision should not come as a surprise.
“If you have been with us for the last several years, you know that our facilities have always been a concern, and at the forefront of our thoughts for our students and how they are educated each day. We know the conditions in our buildings are not acceptable and not conducive to learning. ... We have known the condition of these buildings for several years and we know our children deserve better,” he said.
“There are a lot of unknowns, but we do know that the vision the school district has for your children is very important to each of us. Although they will be in a new place, they will be more adept at learning in a new environment. We are saying ‘goodbye’ in many respects, but we’re also welcoming and embracing what the future holds for us at Northridge.”
Board president Larry Porter also reminded the audience that the board’s action is not a surprise.
“The last two years we have gone to the voters to try to get funds to at least repair these buildings where they’re safe for the children; we were unable to do that,” he said.
According to the building summary from the OSFC, Homer Elementary meets 190 out of 400 possible points in building safety and security, 146 out of 400 in educational adequacy, and 190 out of 400 in environment for education. Hartford Elementary earned 172 of 400 in safety and security, 158 of 400 in educational adequacy and 152 of 400 in environment for education, all considered poor ratings by the OSFC.
“We have received so many studies and so many reports, and it’s time to do something. We have to get the children out of those two buildings,” Porter said. “It’s not an easy decision.”
That sentiment was echoed by the other board members.
Treasurer Felicia Drummey said the move will actually save the district money. She expects a 20 percent reduction in fuel costs by going to single bus routing in the morning, and said there will also be savings in energy efficiency, maintenance and custodial costs, and capital budget items previously spent on Hartford and Homer.
Preliminary cost estimates for installing modulars with space for 12 classrooms at the middle school/high school complex are $60,000; this includes site preparation and installation. The annual lease amount for the modulars is approximately $86,000.
Drummey said she hopes that will be a temporary situation. If the community passes a bond issue in November, a new facility could be open for the 2011-12 school year. A financial advisory committee has been formed to help identify what is important to the community, and to help the board and administration know the community’s expectations with regard to facilities and instruction. Drummey said everyone is encouraged to attend the next meeting, which will be March 19 at 7 p.m. in the high school media center.
In another attempt to gain community input, the board will conduct a random phone survey three days next week, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Although no public comment was permitted at Monday’s special meeting, Porter said the board is in the process of scheduling a series of community forums to allow district residents to bring their questions and concerns to the board. The first open forum will be Saturday at 8 a.m. at Sweets on the Square in Hartford.
Board members did stay to talk with residents after the meeting, and the public will have a further opportunity to participate at the next board meeting, slated for March 17 at 6 p.m. at Hartford Elementary. It will include a building tour and public forum session.
